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The new Google Fact Check tool is now available in Search

The new Google Fact Check tool is now available in Search

Last October, Google announced that they would be enabling publishers in certain countries to add a ‘Fact Check’ label to news stories that appear in Google’s search results.

Working with their partners at Jigsaw, the label was rolled out to identify whether news articles contained information that had been checked by news publishers, fact checking organisations, and other reputable sources, Google explains in their The Keyword blog.

After accessing feedback from both users and publishers, Google has announced that they will be making the Fact Check label available in all countries and languages, although it won’t be available for every search result. Publishers will also need to use the Schema.org ClaimReview markup or the Share the Facts Widget for their content to be included.

With the new Fact Check feature, users will be able to see information on the ‘claim’, who made the claim, and the status of the fact check of that claim in the search results. An example of how this will appear in Google’s search results can be seen below:

One thing to bear in mind is that because the fact checks aren’t made by Google, publishers may come to different conclusions over the validity of certain claims. Therefore, information provided in the Fact Check label might sometimes be conflicting.

However, Google says that these will still be presented to help people ‘make more informed judgements’.

The TJM take: With such a big emphasis being placed on the repercussions of sharing fake news, it’s good to see Google taking some much-needed steps to making identifying this type of content easier.

However, there could still be some confusion over the validity of certain claims (due to multiple publishers and fact checkers being able to weigh-in), although the hope is that people will be able to make informed decisions about what news is likely to be fake.

At the moment, the tool is also limited on the volume of facts having been checked, and it still appears to be under evaluation. The tool looks promising, but we’re looking forward to seeing how useful it can really be!

Is Google launching a job search service called ‘Google Hire’?

This weekend, Matt Southern at Search Engine Journal noticed that a new homepage has appeared for a service called ‘Google Hire’. As the homepage provides an option to sign-up, it has led to speculation that Google will soon launch their own job search function for job seekers and recruiters.

Currently, the homepage seems to be locked, with Matt Southern being unsuccessful at signing-up for the ‘service’ with his Google account. However, multiple sources claim that Google Hire ‘will be a recruitment tool which allows employers to manage job applications’ and that ‘employers will be able to place ads for job listings, which jobseekers will then be able to apply for’.

Southern has reached out to Google for more information on this, although no official announcement has been made by the company.

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